the time. If the truth be known, he wanted her. It was a fact he could no longer deny.
She shook her head. “What you’ve done is make it almost impossible for that to happen now. Not with that woman back in your life!”
His mother was right. No one knew that better than Alex.
“Ms. Collier has no shame, no decency. To think you lost your heart to such a person pains me as much as your father’s death.”
Alex ground his teeth. “Before you jump to any more erroneous conclusions, I’m going to ask a favor of you. This is important.” He checked his watch.
“I’m due to take Phillip riding right now. During your walk with the dogs, why don’t you pass by the stables in say three hours. That way your first meeting with him will be informal and spontaneous, putting him at ease. Later on in the day you and I will have another private talk.”
Her expression remained wooden. “Are you asking as the king, or as my son?”
“Both. I swear on father’s grave that if you’ll do this, certain things will become clear and help you get through this without completely despising me.”
At the mention of his father, she lowered her head. That was the way he left her as he slipped out of the apartment. At their next meeting he would tell her about Melissa. By that time she would have come face-to-face with her grandson.
Knowing his mother as he did, her heart would soften. She’d want Phillip to stay in Bris and become an intrinsic part of the family. Once that happened, she wouldn’t be able to dismiss Phillip’s second mother so easily…
A steep hill rose beyond the lake bordering the back of the royal estate. It led to vineyards and ultimately the forested slopes of the mountains overlooking the magnificent Rhine Valley.
By the time the three of them dismounted to rest and take in the view, euphoria had overtaken Darrell.
During the climb, Alex had put Phillip to work checking the riverbank for signs of dead fish, which he explained was a problem in the lower Ungadine called Whirling disease. His minister of fisheries was working with some biologists to eradicate it.
Phillip thought the term “whirling” was too funny, but he took his father’s suggestion seriously. Already Alex was making his son feel important. He managed him without dictating. Phillip had never been more pleasant or well behaved.
While she wandered around stretching her legs, Alex tied up the horses. She hadn’t ridden one in years. At the end of the day she would be sore, but the glorious ride had been worth it.
Phillip didn’t seem to have the same problem, lucky boy.
“Dad? Have you ever climbed up to that ridge?”
“Many times.”
“With my grandpa?”
“No. He was always too busy.”
“How come he was so mean?”
“Not mean, Phillip. It’s just that when he pledged to serve the people of our country, he meant it. You have to understand he represented the House of Valleder. It has reigned over this canton for centuries.
“The castle here in Bris has been our ancestral home since the Middle Ages. Father never forgot his duty for a minute.”
Darrell could hear her son’s mind taking it all in.
“How long was he king?”
“Thirty years before he died of a heart attack.”
“I bet you miss him a lot.”
“The whole family does.”
Following his father’s soulful remark Phillip eyed him with a distinct glint.
“What do you bet I can climb to the top of that ridge and back in half an hour.”
“I used to make that trip in twenty minutes,” Alex said with a deadpan expression.
Phillip let out a whoop. “You’re on!” He high-fived his dad before taking off. Pretty soon he’d disappeared in the pines.
Alex put a booted foot on the log, turning to Darrell with one of those white smiles that melted her insides.
He looked happy.
In jeans and a navy pullover, he was jaw-dropping gorgeous.
There wasn’t another man to equal him.
This must have been the way Melissa felt when she’d gone to that bar with him years ago. No woman would be able to resist an invitation to join him in his sleeping bag. Darrell took back everything she’d ever said to her sister about not having shown more sense.
“I’m sure it isn’t really possible to imagine your life if you weren’t raised to be a king, but I’m curious to know what you think you might have done with your life if you’d been born as say…Alex Smith.”
He leaned on his knee with one arm. “That’s easy to answer. I would have worked in counterespionage developing various codes no enemy could crack.”
“How fascinating! I remember the story of the Wind Talkers who were Navajo military men used during the war. No one could break their code.”
“Exactly. We speak a lot of languages here in Switzerland, and each one has its different dialects depending on the region or valley. The Romanche dialects are complex and fascinating to me, as is the Navajo language you were referring to.”
“Phillip has a lot to learn.”
“Hopefully he’ll want to. Our language will be lost if we don’t endeavor to keep it unified and used. When I wasn’t busy with some regimen or other, I began making my own dictionary of Romanche words and idioms, incorporating the dialects.
“On mountain hikes I always carry a notebook with me in case I meet a fellow countryman who could give me a new word here or there to add to my collection.”
“You’re a very brilliant man. Phillip’s in awe of you.”
“My father was the brilliant one,” he informed her. “He was first to introduce a program at the university in Bris to get as much information as we can from the old people still living within the canton. Once they’re gone, any knowledge they have will die with them. I’d hate to see Romanche go by the wayside.”
“Thank goodness for a sovereign like you who cares enough to preserve your heritage,” she said emotionally.
He moved closer to her. “The main reason I spent time in Arizona was to visit some Navajo reservations and see how they preserve their dialects and gather information. But I must admit the idea of being a secret agent has headed the top of my list for a profession.”
His eyes narrowed on her face. “What about you? If there’d been no Phillip, what would you have done?”
“That’s an easy question
